


the devils we failed to notice

by withlovelux



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Deity GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Deity Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Explicit Language, How Do I Tag, Karl Jacobs is younger than Dream, Karl Jacobs-centric, Kinda, Netherborne Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), No Romance, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, its REALLY complicated, its complicated, kind of, this came to me after i woke up from a nightmare at 2am
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withlovelux/pseuds/withlovelux
Summary: Rever’s smile turned into a feral grin. He raised the blood plum to his lips, motions careful and calculated. He took a bite, and his lips were stained red.in which dream and karl grew up together in the inbetween, and in an act of rebellion, dream escapes.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Karl Jacobs, Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Karl Jacobs, GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs & Sapnap
Comments: 11
Kudos: 36





	1. i dont need no garden of eden

**Author's Note:**

> so i kinda yelled "fuck canon" at the top of my lungs and called it a day.  
> i outlined the shit out of this and literally threw so many of my own headcanons and theories at these characters, so i hope you enjoy! this took me way too long to put together, and theres _so_ many references in this.  
> anyway, i hope you like this piece of shit, enjoy! <3

“Where do the ghosts come from?” He asked, voice soft with youth, naive in his words. His eyes watched the translucent people pass them by, blind as they wandered through the vast white halls.

They hummed lightly, pulling a flower from the ground and pulling at the petals gently.  _ “Do you want to hear a story, little one?” _ They responded with their bird song voice, a gentle breeze running its fingers through his hair. He gasped lightly and smiled, nodding eagerly. The corner of Their lips pulled upwards ever so slightly at his response.

_ “Well then, once upon a time, every ghost here lived somewhere else. Somewhere lawless, with rolling green hills, spreads of deserts, mountain range after mountain range spread across thousands of kilometers,”  _ They said, long, pale white hair cascading down Their back, pooling around them gently.

He hung onto every word that fell from Their mouth, his eyes wide with interest.  _ “There was a boy, borne of mushrooms and human error. He was the child of the Overworld, keeper of the lands, someone to ensure that no one broke the rules of the land, whether that be while the sun was asleep or when Dawn sat on her golden throne, rose-red fingers dancing over the world. _

_ “But the boy was naive, to think that the people he looked over would follow his word. They built nations, created their own laws, crafted of worries and lies by people starving for power. They bloodied their steel hearts, carnage staining the world. The boy borne of mushrooms could no longer control his people. _

_ “And so, he laid in the clearing of his forest, vast and wide, falling asleep for a millenia. He withdrew into the land, buried beneath the roots of a great tree, returning to where he was born. The people continued with their bloodshed, murdering their loved ones, tearing families apart.” _

“Why would anyone want to live in the Overworld?” He pondered, words tucked close to his chest. They sighed and patted his head lightly as he continued. “Everything is perfect here; why would anyone want to leave?”

He watched as a smile pulled at Their lips.  _ “They were cast out, long ago, young one. They had tasted the fruit, and tempted those around them with the same flavor of blood plum. We had no choice but to exile them from here. There is no room for sinners in paradise.” _

With wide eyes, he watched as They rose to their feet, dusting off Their clothes.  _ “Now, young one, I must take my leave. Do be good in my absence, would you?”  _ He nodded, the action neat and precise as he watched Them smile, turning Their back on him as They left him beneath the birch tree.

He looked around, soft light cast upon his surroundings. He heard a wind chime giggle, watching as a boy with a green sweatshirt peaked out from behind one of the pillars. Forcing himself to his feet, unstable from lack of practice, he stared as the boy giggled again.

The boy’s features were covered by a plain white mask, spotless, only revealing his lips. His hands were small, wrapped around the quartz as a smile painted on what he could see of the boy’s face. The boy looked to be a little taller than himself, and he stared as the boy stepped out entirely.

“Don’t be afraid,” the boy said, tonal inflections oddly similar despite him having never heard the voice before. “Just want to tell you ‘hi’.”

And then he ran off, another one of the palace’s mysteries, mask a remaining taunt in his mind.

_ 1. _

He watched as the boy ran through the halls, footsteps echoing in his ears. Another was with him this time, with deep black hair and a white sweatshirt, a small fire emblem stitched onto the front. They laughed as they chased one another, passing him by in their youth.

But they didn’t.

“Hey!” The boy yelled, stopping short and turning around to look at him. Trotting up to him, the boy smiled broadly, the other trailing not far behind. “I never got your name! I’m Rever, and that’s Leur!”

He stumbled over his words, searching for an answer. “I- I don’t have a name,” he replied, voice small as he fiddled with the hem of his hoodie, the familiar purple and blue calming his racing heart. 

The boy- Rever- hummed, crossing his arms and tapping his pointer finger against his bicep in contemplation. “They never gave you a name? You’re not a ghost, so did they make you?” He nodded silently. A smile pulled at Rever’s lips. “So you’re like me!”

His eyes snapped up from their downcast position, meeting Rever’s blank mask with shock. “What?” He asked, voice wavering ever so slightly.

“Yeah! You’re like Leur and me!” Rever exclaimed, tilting his head to the left. A smile creeped onto his face at the words. “Anyway, we need to get you a name- Leur! Do you have any ideas?” He looked past Rever at the other, who was tapping his chin in consideration.

“How about Epoque?” Leur said after a moment, startling a laugh out of Rever, who made a slight comment about the randomness of the name.

He felt his lips pull upwards gently. “Epoque. I like that!” He said, tilting his head to the side as the corners of his eyes crinkled ever so gently. “Nice to mee you, Leur, Rever! I’m Epoque!”

Rever and Leur smiled back at Epoque, and he felt light. 

“Do you want to play tag with us?” Rever asked, taking a step back. “We’re in the middle of a game right now, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine!”

Epoque hummed for a moment, biting his lip. His gaze traveled from Rever to Leur and back again, and a feral grin spread across his features as he reached out and hit Rever’s arm. “Tag!” He yelled, immediately bolting as the other two laughed, following him quickly.

_ 1. _

“Rever! Rever!” Epoque called, trotting up to the older, a mischievous glint in his eye. It had been a few years since he had first met Rever and Leur, his time as an only child coming to an end with the introduction of his brother and best friend. They stood in the vast corridor, sea lanterns illuminating the midnight hallway with a gentle glow as the thirteen year olds chattered.

“What?” Rever asked, voice tired as he adjusted his mask gently. “It’s late, Epoque. What?”

  
  
Epoque laughed lightly. “I found something! Come with me, please? I promise, you won’t be disappointed,” he pleaded with the older, clapping his hands together in front of his face. 

The older looked over Epoque with curiosity, inspecting him before sighing. “Sure, it’s not like They have anything planned for tomorrow.” Epoque gasped, excitement lighting up his tone as he grabbed Rever’s hand, leading him through the now-familiar halls. 

He lead Rever through the Gardens, past the tree and through the main hall. They turned corners as they laughed, suppressed giggles erupting from their chests in an failed effort not to wake anyone. “Where are we going?” Rever asked, out of breath as they stood in an intersection.

“You’ll see,” Epoque said with a sly smile, wandering over to a blank wall. He placed his hand against the quartz, running his fingers over the familiar substance as Rever watched the younger like he was insane.

“Epoque,” Rever said after a minute of silence. “That’s a blank wall, there’s nothing there-” he was startled to silence when Epoque pushed against the wall, pressing his shoulder into it as he opened a door Rever didn’t know existed.

A wide smile graced Epoque’s features, pride rolling off of him in waves. “Follow me,” Epoque said, voice low as if he were telling a secret. The younger of the two entered the doorway, Rever following with slight hesitance. He looked down to see a long stairwell, curved in the tower they were confined in. 

Rever ran a hand through his hair, dully reminding himself to trim the birds nest as he followed Epoque downwards. He hummed with interest as they made their descent, the scent of dust and aged paper pinching his eyebrows.

As they stepped off the final step, Epoque turned towards Rever with a wide grin plastered on his face. “I present to you, the Library!” He said dramatically, walking backwards through a wide archway. 

Rever felt the oxygen escape from his lungs as he entered the room, towering bookshelves standing above them like familiar birch trees. Deep jewel tones decorated the shelves, golden fingers tracing the spines of the books, leaving behind patterns on them.

“Is this why They always tried to keep us away from this wing of the palace?” Rever asked, eyes wide as he turned. An aged chandelier hung from the ceiling, unlit candles failing to properly light the room. “This is the only library I’ve never seen in this place, and I thought I had explored every centimeter.”

Epoque shrugged eloquently, wandering up to one of the shelves and slipping a book off, coughing lightly at the dust that escaped with it. “They had given me some books before- history books, to be specific- and they were way different then the ones in here.”   


  
Rever frowned. Why would They have any reason to lie to him and Epoque? He wandered over to what Epoque was looking at. He saw an image of a boy wearing a mushroom cap, rounded glasses sitting neatly on the bridge of his nose. Drenched in moss and ivy, surrounded by the forest as he sat in a neat circle of red spotted mushrooms.

He scanned the page, consuming words familiarly distant, about a world so far away it seemed like a fantasy.

Maybe he and Epoque could learn a thing or two here.

_ 1. _

“Epoque!” He heard a familiar voice say, and he turned to see his best friend. Leur, with his classic summertime t-shirt, plain white, as always, panted as he bolted up to Epoque. “I figured something out!”

He raised an eyebrow, curiosity burning beneath his skin. “What is it?” Epoque asked easily. The fifteen year old grinned at him, completely at ease in the others presence. 

With a shit-eating grin, Leur slapped a hand on the back of Epoque’s neck. He yelled, batting Leur’s hand away as his neck  _ burned. _ “What the heck was that for?” He yelled, rubbing the back of his neck as he hissed in pain. Epoque could hear Rever laughing in the distance, causing the corners of his mouth to turn downwards ever so slightly.

“I figured out how to do fire manipulation!” Leur explained as the corners of his eyes crinkles nicely. 

“Oh, blood plum,” Epoque cursed, eyebrows pinching together. “You’re just going to become more of a nuisance, aren’t you, you stupid netherborne.”

They held their banter, fake offense and teasing words passing between them, the sequence familiar. The heat of late summer, rose-red fingertips creeping against the underside of the island as silver sheets draped over the sky.

It was nice.

_ 1. _

Epoque and Rever were brothers. They were each other’s best friends for years- years when Leur wasn’t able to come by due to his father’s own protectiveness, years where They didn’t bother to check in on them as often as they used to. 

  
But the years passed, and they grew up. They chased one another through the empty corridors, decorated with ghosts pinned to the walls, they poured over dusty books together, they found hidden areas of their home together.

And then Epoque turned seventeen, and then They came back. They, who had been so fond of Rever when he was here, when the clay had not yet dried fully, before Epoque was carved from endstone. 

They, who abandoned Rever for Epoque upon his seventeenth year.

So Rever sat in the Library alone, wandering the palace in silence. Sometimes, Leur would come by, and they would reminisce about their younger years. They would sit in silence, watching Leur play with fire bees. They would joke, they would laugh, they would pretend like everything was okay.

Most days were spent alone, surrounded by a paradisiac nightmare- he would see Epoque and Them in passing on occasion, across the courtyard, sitting in the main hall around the flower. Most days were spent with ghosts gripping him by the shoulders, their cold, dead fingers digging into his skin as they yelled at him, as they cursed him out, as they berated him for being a useless, worthless child.

Because that’s what he was, wasn’t he?

_ 1. _

And so the years went by- Epoque lost someone he was so familiar with, watching from a distance as Rever disappeared into foreign quartz hallways. It saddened him, losing his best friend like that, but Epoque didn’t linger on it for long, as They kept him busy, readings to be completed and walks to be had.

So when Epoque saw Rever standing over the flower, looking oh-so-tired, he wasn’t sure what to expect. The older clutched something in his hands, something round and red and unfamiliar. It twisted his insides, sitting uncomfortably in his gut. 

“Rever?” Epoque asked in a small voice. “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be that close to the flower.” 

He didn’t get a response, and Epoque frowned. He looked over his friend- his sweatshirt was in pristine condition, bright in contrast with the white of the room. That stupid turtleneck he always wore was layer underneath, and his mask was still blank-

-with the exception of a simple smiley face taunting Epoque, ink wet as Rever tilted his head to the side. 

“...Rever?”

Silence met his words once again. His brother simply tilted his head to the side, and raised his hand, almost like he was reaching out.

Epoque’s voice shook. “Rever, what are you doing?”

His brother’s hand reached out towards the flower, and Epoque felt his body go cold when Rever plucked off one of the petals. A sadistic smile was painted on Rever’s lips, an expression Epoque had never seen on the other boy’s face. 

Rever crushed the petal between his fingers. “You know, Epoque, we really are useless, worthless children. Trapped in an art house for a prison, we grew up thinking that this was normal. That this was paradise- that’s what They always told us, after all. We had no reason to question it, because at the end of the day, this essentially was paradise.” The words were flat and monotonous, rattling Epoque’s bones and shaking his lungs.

“And that got me thinking, Epoque,” Rever continued, and he simply stood there, an onlooker in silence. “What if I didn’t  _ need  _ paradise? What if I went to the Overworld? What if I went to the Nether? What if I went to the End, your homeland? What would They do to stop me? It’s not like they remember I exist.”

Epoque’s eyes widened at the implications of Rever’s words, his lungs seizing with his shock. “Rever, you can’t- you’ll- you won’t-”

Rever’s smile turned into a feral grin. He raised the blood plum to his lips, motions careful and calculated. He took a bite, and his lips were stained red.

“I don’t need no Garden of Eden.”


	2. dont be afraid, just want to tell u hi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re scared, Leur,” he said, the words breaking their silence. A sharp inhale was heard from behind him, and he smiled as he snapped the book shut, setting it down on his lap. “You’re scared of what happened to him.”
> 
> He hummed as the older tried to collect himself, searching for the words to answer his old friend. “I’m worried that he did something stupid, in the Overworld.” 
> 
> Letting his lungs fill with smoke, the fire crackling in the distance, he turned to look at the other. 

Epoque didn’t like the quiet anymore. It reminded him of those days where he would lay on the cold quartz floor, abandoned in the corridor as he slowly rotted away. Of days where, in Rever’s absence, he and Leur would sit in the Library, dust collecting in their lungs and decorating their bodies. 

Epoque didn’t like the quiet anymore- what he once considered an old friend was now something that tormented him on a day to day basis. Epoque didn’t like the quiet anymore.

He would try to distract himself from it, try to force those demons out of his mind. Their glory days were over- the infamous duo of Rever and Epoque lost to the sands of time, a faint memory scribbled on aged paper. 

Leur didn’t come by often anymore, and when he did, the visits were melancholy as they danced in the main hall, the faint sounds of an orchestra weaving around them as they twirled around the empty room. Sometimes they would talk, but they would mostly sit under the birch tree and watch as flames singed Leur’s fingers.

Those days were nice.

Wandering around the grounds were a favorite pastime of his- They never bothered to check in on him after Rever had left, leaving him to his own devices for the most part.  _ “Epoque,”  _ he remembered Them saying,  _ “you are now old enough to be on your own. I will talk to you when I need you, not before nor after.” _

The years passed in silence- one century, two centuries, three centuries, he lost track after seven. The loneliness ate at his soul, tearing his body apart as ghosts rattled his bones, silent degradation heavy in the air. 

Epoque didn’t like being Epoque anymore.

So he became someone else.

Nameless once more, he collected himself, thumbing through old pages of ancient story books, the words on the paper telling tales of the Overworld, bestowing it a name he couldn’t be bothered to remember. He gathered the books in his arms and wandered towards the closet he called his own, shoving them in a bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

With a deep breath, he wandered to the edge of the island, hand wrapped around a plum, staring at the blue canvas before him. Sunset dipped her fingers in paint and slowly dragged his hands across the pastel background, lackadaisical in her movements. 

He watched as the paint rolled down the canvas slowly, drenching the sky in color. He toed the grass, watching a piece of rock roll off the edge and fall into the abyss. 

“Let’s craft a tale for the time being,” he said, voice small and words lost to the gentle breeze, rattling the birch tree behind him, the sound of water drowning them out. He raised the forbidden fruit to his lips, hearing Them call his name. 

And he took a bite as he turned around to face the person who tormented him for so long. Features painted with shock, They yelled  _ “Epoque!”,  _ the sound guttural as he let himself fall backwards.

_ Don’t be afraid,  _ the familiar words rang in his ear.  _ Just want to tell you ‘hi’. _

_ 2. _

He opened his eyes, heat surrounding him, suffocating him as he inhaled sharply- smoke filled his lungs, and he coughed lightly. Standing on shaky feet, eyes wide, he found himself in the Nether. The world was drenched in reds and oranges and yellows, the colors oddly foreign to him.

“Epoque?” A voice sounded from behind him. He turned to see his oldest companion, and a smile found its way onto his lips.

“Hey, Leur,” he said, tilting his head to the side. Leur looked a bit scruffier, his hair pushed out of his face with a white bandana, his familiar white sweatshirt layers over a black long sleeve, checker patterns running along his arms. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Leur stumbled over his words for a moment before finding what he wanted to say. “What are you doing here? Did you-?”

  
  
“No, no, I didn’t,” he assured, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I wanted to ask you something.”   
  


He watched as Leur’s eyebrows pinched together, typically mischievous eyes clouding with curiosity and slight confusion. Leur reached out and grabbed his hand, and he yelped at the tight grip. The two weaved through the Nether, eventually entering the fortress he assumed was Leur’s home.

They ran through dark brick hallways, reminiscent of their time as children. Eventually, they came to a simple stairwell, and Leur gestured for him to take a seat. They settled on the steps neatly, and he pulled his bag from his shoulder.

“What did you want to ask?” Leur asked casually, but there was an unsure lilt to his voice.

He hummed for a moment, unsure of where to begin. “How long has it been?”

“I’d say a millenia, maybe more.”

“Ah.” His gaze turned downcast at the words. “So that’s where all the time went.”

Silence fell over the two, familiar as the older played sparks with his fingers. He reached into his bag and withdrew a book, cracking open the cover. He saw an image of a boy with a mushroom cap for a hat, rounded glasses with cracked lenses sitting low on his nose. The boy was surrounded by towering trees, green glory. 

“You’re scared, Leur,” he said, the words breaking their silence. A sharp inhale was heard from behind him, and he smiled as he snapped the book shut, setting it down on his lap. “You’re scared of what happened to him.”

He hummed as the older tried to collect himself, searching for the words to answer his old friend. “I’m worried that he did something stupid, in the Overworld.” 

Letting his lungs fill with smoke, the fire crackling in the distance, he turned to look at the other. 

“Then let’s find him.”

_ 2. _

They frowned as their youngest bit the forbidden fruit, anger bubbling in their chest at the implication of the action. Adraste hummed lightly as they heard the ghosts whisper among themselves, unsure of where the child had gone.

This was an unfortunate loss. Epoque was supposed to be flawless, crafted of endstone rather than clay, a mistake on their part when first sculpting Rever. He was supposed to be more stable, more  _ useful  _ than their first foolish mistake.

Toga sweeping, Adraste turned heel on their child, letting them fall into the Nether. Everything was fine. They marched through the halls elegantly, climbing a familiar tower. They pushed open a door, heavy with age, and waltzed into a small room adorned with tools. 

They reached into a cabinet below, selecting a piece of quartz.

A sadistic grin found its way onto their face. Everything was fine; after all, they could always try again.

_ 2. _

_ He opened his eyes, seeing a faceless being before him. A hand caressed his cheek, warm and oddly familiar. They smiled at him, the expression settling niceless on their blank features. _

_ “Perfect,” They said, voice sounding wrong in his ears. “I’ll call you Kioku.” _

_ 2. _

He watched as his friend pleaded with his father, beginning for the man’s blessing to leave the Nether, to search for their childhood companion. The days passed, and the man refused to budge, protective of his only child.

So, in an act of rebellion, they abandoned their homes without their parents’ blessings, and fell into the lava as they hugged one another.

It was warm.

_ 2. _

Karl and Sapnap wandered the rolling hills, with nothing but a sack of books and a determination matched by few. They flitted from village to village, the structures far and few between biomes. They weaved through forests, watching from a distance as a familiar boy and his mushroom cap sat alone in a clearing. Cracked glasses perched on his nose, clothing drenched in blues and whites and the occasional note of red.

They didn’t bother walking up to him.

They watched a village go mad, a masquerade fall into bloodshed. They watched families tear themselves apart, trust being thrown out the window in favor of power, dictatorship in favor of democracy. It made the duo cringe, the words of their parents echoing in their heads.  _ “Humans are the greater of two evils,”  _ they had told Karl and Sapnap when they were children.  _ “We simply watch from afar as spectators.” _

Years passed, and they remained the same- young adults on a quest to find their third. They aged slower than the normal person, staying at the same age for centuries on end. They could only wonder what happened to Rever, cast out from Eden due to his mistreatment.

The thought that the oldest was dead followed them like a second shadow, something they refused to acknowledge. 

And then one day, they found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so apparently i just had this already written and completely forgot about it, so here have some crumbs! this one is of far lower quality than the first, but i'm still working out some specifics of this story. there's probably going to be some minor edits done to chapters after they're posted, and edits will always be marked in the beginning notes!!  
> thank you so much for reading <3


	3. take me to ur paradise (heaven's gate is closed)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay.
> 
> Dream.
> 
> _Rever._

“You’re not from here. Who are you?” The words sounded like bird song in a silent forest, sunlight filtering gently through the canopy overhead. Karl moved forwards from his hiding spot in the fauna hesitantly. He listened to Sapnap hiss at him lightly, words seethed out through clenched teeth.

He moved slowly, approaching the smaller figure with quiet motions. “Why are you familiar?” The figure asked, wind chime voice light and airy despite the implications of it. Karl looked back at Sapnap and frowned. Sapnap simply shrugged, eyebrows pinched together and jaw tight.

“I-” Karl started, but he cut himself off. He grabbed his rucksack and fished for a book ripe with age, cracking open the cover and thumbing through the pages until he stumbled across a familiar sketch. The pencil lines were faded, some of the graphite wiped away in places, but there was enough left over for Karl to be able to recognize the figure.

“I promise,” he said, turning to Sapnap and motioning for him to come stand beside him. “We’re not too far apart from one another.”   
  


The figure moved closer to the duo, his mushroom cap hanging over his head and shading his features. A pair of white goggles were settled across his eyes, a worn blue sweater hanging off his frail frame. The figure- who Karl now noticed was a man- inspected the duo, slight recognition registering on his features.

He frowned lightly. “You’re- Oh,  _ blood plum _ ,” he cursed, tone laced with venom. Karl felt his eyebrows pinch at the change in voice. “What do you think you’re doing here, you damn menace? I told you in the beginning, if I ever saw you again, I’d-”

  
  
“Oh, I- no, you- you have the wrong person,” Karl assured as he began to understand. 

He, the boy that was a bedtime story to Karl when he was a child, pinched his eyebrows together, which Karl took as incentive to continue. “That’s- that’s Rever. I’m Ep- Karl. I’m Karl. Rever’s my older brother, and we’re looking for him. You’re George Nolfound, right?” A slight hum filled the air. He- George- nodded, the slight incline of his head allowing Karl a sigh of relief.

“Who’s your friend, Karl?” George asked, turning to Sapnap. “My memory is rather fuzzy at the best of times, so I apologize if I know you as well.”   
  


Karl looked to Sapnap, and the other looked conflicted. 

The older cast a look to the side, avoiding both of their eyes. Realization settled upon Karl as he recalled stories of a brighter time where Rever and Sapnap would tell of an old friend they lost years ago. “I can go, if you want,” Karl said in a hushed tone. 

Sapnap shook his head, and Karl felt something curl up in his chest and die.

_ 3. _

“So you woke up earlier this month?” Sapnap asked as they walked along the familiar path. George hummed lightly, his goggles hiding any sort of emotion he might show. “That sounds like it must be nice, sleeping for that long. You must be- well rested.”

  
  
“Not particularly. I get rather disoriented whenever I wake up, since I sleep for so long. I forget a lot of things, but it usually comes back to me after five or six weeks,” George said, kicking a stone out of his way casually.

Karl hummed lightly. “Do you know if anyone lives around here? It seems pretty barren,” he asked easily, glancing around him. The plains were empty apart from a few animals dotting the fields here and there. They hadn’t seen people for the past few years, actually, aside from the occasional stray traveler, but they usually died a couple days later.

He and Sapnap had found one too many cadavers because of it.

George seemed to think for a moment, tapping his chin and pushing a stray hair off his forehead. “I believe there are some settlers a couple kilometers from here,” he said after a moment. “They’re- unique, I suppose. A violent bunch, but rather kind at times.”

“Violent?”   


  
“Yes, they tend to start wars over excruciatingly small things. They’re rather petty folk.” Karl hummed from the other side of George, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “They’re also the only people to have made it to the Nether, as far as my knowledge goes.”   
  


“Excuse me?” Sapnap said, coming to a complete stop. Shock was drawn tightly across his features, eyes wide with panic at the notion. Karl felt his heart sink at the idea. Humans weren’t kind, a greater of two evils. They took and they took and they bent the rules of the game to their will without a grain of remorse.

He couldn’t imagine what they had done to Sapnap’s homeland, especially if they had found the main fortress. 

Karl watched Sapnap steel himself, and guilt settled in his system. He was the one who convinced the older to come with him when he could have done this on his own, he could have found a place for the Library alone, he could have let Sapnap go home-

But he didn’t dwell on it. 

“I’m sorry,” Karl said lightly, the words holding a weight that Sapnap appeared to understand the moment he heard them. The older nodded stiffly, his movements mechanical as he began walking again, George and Karl following shortly as though nothing had happened. 

George opened his mouth in the corner of Karl’s vision, but closed it after a moment of hesitation. 

He didn’t bother to ask what George was going to say.

_ 3. _

“Does this place have a name?” Sapnap asked carefully as they stood on a ledge overlooking the land George said was claimed. 

The mushroom boy nodded without a stroke of hesitance. “The Dream SMP. An odd name, if you ask me. I believe that what we’re standing on is called The Greater Dream SMP. There’s a smaller nation to the northwest- I think they might have lodging.” 

The trio made work of the journey as the sky fell apart, silver ink dotting the worn paper. The sun fell wayside out of his throne, the moon taking his place in all her glory. They eventually came across the foretold city, small yet homey in nature. It was clear that there weren’t many inhabitants by the size of it, a few houses here and there, a couple shops, a large manor to the right of the bridge. 

“Are you new around here?” An accented voice called, and the trio turned to look at where it came from. A young man with blonde hair, adorned with dark purple armor that made Sapnap stiffen slightly. The elder nodded mechanically, not bothering with an introduction.

Karl sighed lightly at Sapnap’s refusal to speak, watching George step forward as the impromptu delegate. “Yes, we are. We’re travelers, looking for a place to stay. Is there a lodge anywhere near here?” Surprise colored the blonde’s features at George’s words, but he quickly schooled his expression into something softer.

“We don’t get many travelers, considering how far out we live from the mainland. Welcome to Snowchester! My name is Tubbo,” the blonde said as a smile decorated his features. “You can stay at the manor with me, Ranboo, and Michael. We don’t have a lodge, so I hope this is an alright arrangement. Could I get your names? And why are you this far out? I would have thought you would take refuge in New L’Manberg.” 

Sapnap blinked at the onslaught of words, and Karl laughed lightly. “My name is Karl, that’s Sapnap, and the mushroom man is Shiitake. There weren’t many people around New L’Manberg, and even if we came across someone, they directed us to some place called the Community House or here, Snowchester.”

“My name is George, not Shiitake,” George grumbled, and Sapnap laughed lightly at the old nickname. It sounded familiar on his tongue, and Tubbo simply smiled at them as he began to lead the trio towards the manor.

Karl hummed, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I was told that most people who lived on Dream SMP land were rather violent, but I take it that’s not the case?” He asked lightly. Tubbo seemed to freeze for a moment as his hand landed on the doorknob, moments away from pushing the heavy oak doors open.

“There was a recent… ah, what’s the word,” Tubbo said as he stumbled over his words, pushing the door open without much issue. 

The manor was glorious, with high, vaulted ceilings and wood and stone detailing. Laughter could be heard from further inside, the sound warm with the crackle of a fireplace. Karl watched Tubbo smile at the sound as the group wandered towards it, walking into the main hall.

There were arm chairs with blankets thrown over the backs, a carpet laid across the wooden floor. A small child danced across the room, a tall man watching with a smile plastered across his face. At the intrusion of people, the man’s steely gaze snapped towards the doorway, immediately softening when he saw Tubbo.

“You’re back earlier than I expected,” he said, rising to his feet. “Who’s this?”    
  


“Ranboo, this is Karl, Sapnap, and George,” Tubbo introduced, gesturing to each man in turn. Ranboo gave a short introduction of himself, the child wrapping his arms around the taller’s legs. 

The child was then scooped upwards and into Ranboo’s arms. “This is Michael,” Ranboo said, the child turning to look at the strangers warily. Karl and George gave short greetings, Sapnap opening his mouth to do the same, but his jaw clicking shut as he truly looked at Michael.

A baby. Michael was a baby pigman. Karl watched Sapnap bite his bottom lip as his eyebrows knitted together.

Michael seemed to retreat into his father’s arms, and Ranboo laughed. “Don’t be afraid, Michael. They just want to tell you ‘hi’.”

Karl felt his shoulders stiffen at the words, feeling cold hands settle along his triceps as a voice he craved to hear once more whispered in his ear  _ “Don’t be afraid; Just want to tell you ‘hi’.”  _

The child disappeared behind a pillar.

“Are things always this peaceful?” George asked lightly as Ranboo and Tubbo led them over to the fireplace, gesturing for them to take a seat. The two hummed, unsettled glances being tossed at one another before they began to speak.

“We recently put someone in prison, so things have been calmer then usual,” Tubbo said vaguely. “He was an old friend of everyone- we all trusted him, for the most part. But he did some- questionable things. He was the founder of the SMP, but that doesn’t excuse his actions. He hurt my best friend, he- he hurt everyone he cared about, all for the sake of himself.” 

George hummed lightly. “What was his name? If you’re comfortable with telling us.” Ranboo hesitated before speaking.

“Dream. Well,  _ Clay,  _ if you want to get technical, but we all know that there was a name before those two.”

Clay.

Dream.

_ Rever. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey besties im back  
> sorry this took so long! i was really caught up in updating other stuff and a bunch of other projects, but im back in business in light of the recent lore streams! if this felt a bit disjointed, im sorry, but i basically threw my whole outline out the window because i hated the way it was going, so im kind of winging this now www  
> thank u sm for reading! ily, go drink ur water, go eat something if u haven't today, take ur meds if u haven't, and take a deep breath! ur doing great :>

**Author's Note:**

> [concept playlist pog?](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/691pnPhSav7kwmOA7vTpf5?si=Q5OnddICRL2s-AKxgiXZIA)   
>  [shameless twitter plug lol](https://twitter.com/hhbyte)


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